A known locking system (a smart entry system) executes a communication between a portable device carried by an occupant and a main device provided at a vehicle, identifies the portable device and automatically locks and unlocks a door for the vehicle (which will be referred to as a vehicle door hereinafter). In the locking system, the vehicle door may be unlocked when an operation of the occupant relative to a door handle, such that the occupant contacts the door handle provided at the vehicle door, is detected because of a security concern about unlocking of the vehicle door right after an identification of the portable device. In such case, the occupant may be informed of a result of the identification of the portable device (i.e., whether or not the vehicle door is in a state of waiting for an operational input of the occupant (waiting for a command to unlock the vehicle door) after the portable device is identified). For example, when the portable device is not identified and the occupant contacts the door handle, the vehicle door is not unlocked. Therefore, the occupant needs to unlock the vehicle door by a remote control or a mechanical key and the locking system may become inconvenient. Further, when the vehicle door is locked, the occupant needs to check whether or not the vehicle door is locked at each locking operation. Therefore, the locking system may become inconvenient. Thus, the locking system may become inconvenient when the occupant is not informed of locked or unlocked states of the vehicle door and a state of the identification of the portable device.
A door handle for a vehicle is disclosed in JP2004-108059A (which will be referred to as reference 1 hereinafter). The door handle according to reference 1 includes an indicator and the door handle indicates a locking confirmation term. The indicator is provided at a door handle or in the vicinity of the door handle and is configured by a light emitting diode (LED). Further, according to JP2007-254993A (which will be referred to as reference 2 hereinafter), a LED, which is embedded in a door handle, is cordlessly supplied with electric power.
A door handle for a vehicle disclosed in reference 2 omits a wiring for supplying an electric source to the LED. Therefore, the LED, serving as an indicating portion, is added without modifying a wiring of a known door handle. However, a power transmitting portion and a power receiving portion are provided at a door panel and the door handle, respectively for cordless power supply. Therefore a size of an entire system is increased.
A need thus exits for a door handle and a locking system, which are not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.